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First, if using the 'Express' method from Windows Update, be prepared for a total download of around 100MB, give or take 20. If you are concerned about this (and I would not even think of doing it on dial up), order a free CD - now possible for English or German versions of XP at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/down ... fault.mspx
with other languages in the pipeline as indicated there

When you use the Express method, it first downloads all the files that will be needed. During this time you can use the machine for other purposes, while it downloads in the background. Do not Cancel this; if you disconnect from the internet, the download will pick up again once you reconnect later. Once all is downloaded there will be a considerable pause to sort the files out and expand them before the actual update starts. At that time, join the comments on the 'full' download.

If you download the 266MB 'Network' installation program (which you could burn to CD for use on any machines around), or get it on a CD, follow sensible practice. See the thread here on Preinstallation tidying up. Have the Windows Firewall in action (or disconnect from the Internet for the duration).

Do the actual Install when logged on using an account with Administrator status.

Be sure to turn off any add-on *screensaver* or any Windows screensaver, otherwise you may be surprised with a black screen at some point (if you leave the pc idle during setup).
In Control Panel, drill down to Display Properties.

Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Appearance & Themes >
Choose a screen saver: On "Screen Saver" Tab, select None. Press Apply, then OK.

Make sure you have all programs ended, and there is something to be said for running MSConfig.exe and unchecking Startup on the front page. Exit and reboot so none of your regular background programs get loaded.
After installation run it again to restore the normal setting

Now run the downloaded installation program, which will unpack itself, in the same way as above for 'Express'.

There will then be three boxes to click Next: in the second
you will be asked first to click-select to accept the EULA

It will then go through phases of Checking; Uninstalling; Copying; Installing; Running process after installation; Finalising and clearing up. There may be little sign of progress at time, do not interrupt, but go and get a cup of coffee and come back in 25 minutes

It will then reboot - there will be a brief 'Please wait' at a Blue screen, and another with the Windows Logo on show.

There will then be a screen asking if you want to enable Automatic Updates. You may wish to take 'Not yet' and use the new item in Control Panel later to set this as you wish - eg to notify, but not automatically download updates

Once things have settled, do a defragmentation: a major upgrade like this is liable to leave the disk heavily fragmented

To expand on Alex's directions about using msconfig, an MS tech posted the following:


Clean Boot and install Windows XP SP2
---------------------------------------------
1. Click Start, click Run, type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks) in
the Open box, and then click OK.

2. Make a written list of all startups and Services (non-MS services) that you plan to disable.
Because after the process of SP2 setup is complete, you'll need to go back & re-enable these items.

3. In the Startup tab, click the "Disable All" button.

4. Review the "Services" Tab entries. If you have *ever* disabled Win XP Services, do review those. These have to be enabled:

Automatic Updates (if you plan to get Service Pack from MS site at Windows Update)
Background Intelligent Transfer Service
Cryptographic Service
Remote Procedure Call
System Restore Service


5. Now, in the Services tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" checkbox,
and then click the "Disable All" button.

This will have the effect of turning off all non-MS services.

6. Click OK and restart your computer.
7. Install Windows XP SP2 in a Clean Boot environment.

What's intended here is this: To temporarily disable antivirus and any other user-added startups, with the possible exception of your software firewall.


Here's my expanded version of this with some links you may find useful:


Clean Boot - General Win2k/XP procedure, but see below for links for other OS's (This for Win2k w/msconfig - you can obtain msconfig for Win2k here: http://www.3feetunder.com/files/win2K_m ... _setup.exe ):

1. StartRun enter msconfig.

2. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then clear the 'Process System.ini File', 'Process Win.ini File', and 'Load Startup Items' check boxes. Leave the 'boot.ini' boxes however they are currently set.

3. In the Services tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" checkbox, and then click the "Disable All" button. If you use a third party firewall then re-check (enable) it. For example, if you use Zone Alarm, re-check the True Vector Internet Monitor service (and you may also want to re-check (enable) the zlclient on the Startup tab.) Equivalent services exist for other third party firewalls. An alternative to this for XP users is to enable at this time the XP native firewall (Internet Connection Firewall - ICF). Be sure to turn it back off when you re-enable your non-MS services and Startup tab programs and restore your normal msconfig configuration after cleaning your machine.

4. Click OK and then reboot.

For additional information about how to clean boot your operating system, click the following article links to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

310353 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353
281770 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 2000 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281770/EN-US/
267288 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267288/EN-US/
192926 How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192926/EN-US/
243039 How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows 95 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/243039/EN-US/


~ Ed. 8-29-2004 [Maurice Naggar]